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Washing with cold vs hot water

Ever read the labels on your clothing and wondered why it
says to wash in hot water? The difference between hot and cold water consists
of more than a simple change in temperature, and whether you want to save
money, deep clean or remove stains, we’ve broken water temperature down to the
three essential things you need to know.

1. Money down the drain

Cold water washes are great for saving money, taking care of
fabric, and avoiding setting stains in clothing. Every hot wash requires water
to be heated, and the standard washing machine uses a minimum of 75 litres of
water per wash. Using a cold wash will save you from pouring dollars down the
drain each time your energy bill arrives.

Delicate fabrics like silk and wool are also best washed in
a cold water cycle. The fibres in natural materials aren’t as strong as
synthetic fibres, and heat can break down their structure, leading to a shorter
lifespan. Dyed clothing or linen that have been dyed a dark colour bleed less
and keep their intensity in a cold wash, but all fabrics are cleanable in cold
water.

2. Deep down they’re not clean

However, there are some circumstances when only a hot water
wash will do. The heat in a hot wash loosens oil and grease and kills germs.
Most of the time, cold water is able to effectively clean out the residual dirt
caught up in fabric, but for households fighting off bugs, a hot wash is the
best way to keep a household free from reinfection. Washing hand towels, face
cloths, and bedding in a hot water wash minimises the chances of those bugs
spreading around the family and helps to prevent the occurrence of allergy
causing irritants like dust mites.

The other factor to consider when choosing between a hot or
cold water wash is what kind of dirt is being washed out of clothing. Day-to
day-dirt only needs a quick warm wash but an outdoor hike through a muddy field
might require a more intense type of heat and more detergent to get the clothes
fully clean.

3. Prep for the best results

Stains are the bane of everyone’s laundry experience. How
many times have you thrown something in the wash, desperately hoping for the
tomato stain to come out? Protein-based stains need a cold water wash to remove
their discolouration, while any oil or grease stain needs warm water to lift it
from the fabric.

Applying a paste made of laundry detergent as pre-treatment
before the wash can also help in stain removal. To prevent a stain from
setting, first apply water, keep the garment away from dry heat, and applying
the pre-wash solvent on the material behind the stain.

If you want a deep clean but need to wash a
temperature-sensitive fabric like wool, the best solution is to do a pre-wash
soak in the detergent appropriate for the fabric type. This will give the
detergent time to work it’s magic and absorb all the oils and grime, and then
when you wash the clothing, the chemical reaction in the surfactant will
already have been activated.

Understanding when to use a hot or cold wash isn’t easy, but
next time you do a wash, take a moment to look at the settings on your washing
machine. The best way to look after your clothes is to know how these cycles
work.

If you have a difficult stain you can't get out, you can visit the ASKO Stain Guide.